Last time found Alegra, Sabrina and Salem recruiting Eren Yeager and his fellow Survey Corps members to assist in the crisis in Enchancia. Meanwhile, Columbina assembled an increasing force of Heartless, Kairi dealt with the crisis on her end and Riku fought The Heartless in the Candy Kingdom. 'Nuff said, on with the show!
Chapter 3: War Plans and Interventions
…Parzon…
"As you can see, my fiendish friends of other worlds," said Lord Xenu as he, Davis Blackwood, Zotarius, and Halenio'ketalc walked through a parade ground beneath the towering fortress beneath pollutant-choked skies, "Parzon is more than ready for war."
The de facto leader of Parzon indicated to The Black Triskellion the rows upon rows of massive tanks, each one boasting one 105mm cannon on the front turret, with two 88mm cannons beneath the main barrel. The front plate and sides of each tank had a total of eight Maxim guns, while to the rear of the tank was a second turret that had dual mortar cannons.
"I'd like to see Enchancia's famed flying cavalry take on these Land Cruisers," said Lord Xenu smugly.
"I'd like to see any army stand up to these monstrosities," said Zotairus as he eyed the enormous tanks, "one would be enough to level a castle."
"Not one that's fortified with magic," said Halenio'ketalc, "Enchancia's spies must have learned about Parzon's firepower."
"No doubt they're fortifying their soldiers with bullet proof armor," said Davis Blackwood, "what you need, Lord Xenu, are armor piercing bullets."
"Our ballistic experts are attempting to solve that problem as we speak," said Lord Xenu, "and we're working on getting around magical shields and barriers."
"What is that?" asked Zotarius as he spotted something tall and thin at the far end of the parade ground, "that thing that's coming towards us?"
"Ah, those are Parzon's new Battle Tripods," said Lord Xenu as the object approached them. It was a three-legged mechanical walker a hundred feet tall with whip-like metal tentacles protruding from a conical control module. Beneath the control module lay twin Maxim guns, while a pair of rocket launchers protruded from the sides.
"A handful of these beasts alone could frighten an Enchancian army into a rout," said Lord Xenu as the Battle Tripod walked over them, its three legs easily passing over him and The Black Triskellion.
"Most impressive," said Zotarius, "Enchancia doesn't stand a chance." He then laughed at his attempt at a pun.
"We are not amused," said Halenio'ketalc coldly as she crossed her arms. She then looked at Lord Xenu, "Surely you must realize that Enchancia is preparing for these mechanical monstrosities?"
"Just as Parzon spies have uncovered Enchancia's military secrets," said Davis Blackwood.
"Yes, the game of espionage," said Lord Xenu, "one side steels the other's secrets and develops counter plans, but then the first side changes their initial plans, while also having their spies steal their enemies plans, and vice versa. It goes round and around in an endless dance of spies and counter spies."
"But you've got something special up your sleeves, don't you," said Halenio'ketalc.
"Oh yes, I've got something that'll shake Enchancia to its soul," said Lord Xenu.
A short time later found Lord Xenu and The Black Triskellion boarding a coal-powered carriage that drove towards the city.
"It'll be best if you don these as soon as possible," said Lord Xenu as he opened a case that contained several gas masks, "We'll be entering the factory districts. Trust me, you'll need them."
"I…I need one already!" coughed Halenio'ketalc. She then put the gas mask on and breathed deeply, trying to get her breath under control.
"How can you people live under such appalling conditions?" asked Davis Blackwood as he and Zotarius donned their gas masks, while Lord Xenu donned his.
"We get used to it," said Lord Xenu, "or die. Only the strong have the right to survive and thrive, while the weak are fodder for industry."
They passed through the polluted and smog-choked streets, seeing black-clad workers and soldiers, all wearing masks and protective coverings against the seemingly endless rain of ash and other pollutants falling from the black overcast skies.
They finally arrived at one of thousands of factories in the city. Workers were loading crates of supplies onto coal-powered trucks, each full truck was replaced by an empty one as soon as it drove off.
"This is one of my factories," said Lord Xenu as he directed The Black Triskellion towards an enormous set of doors that turned out to be an airlock. Above the door was a large billboard.
'XENU Enterprises'
Quality
Efficiency
Reliability
'Serving the needs of Parzon for over 100 years.'
"Happy anniversary," teased Zotarius as they entered the airlock.
"I keep telling my PR staff that we need a new logo," said Lord Xenu as the outer doors closed and sealed shut, the interior of the airlock illuminated by red light bulbs. There was a sudden and intense blast of air and the red bulbs turned green, followed by a short but loud buzzing.
"You may remove your gas mask," said Lord Xenu as he took his mask off, "we try to keep the interior of our factories as clean as possible."
"Yeah, and let the outside world choke on smoke and waste," muttered Davis Blackwood.
Lord Xenu then bade his fellow villains into a second airlock. They exchanged their clothes for white jumpsuits and coats, then into a final airlock that further purified the air, before entering the factory proper.
"This facility alone employs thousands," said Lord Xenu as he showed The Black Triskellion into an immaculately clean assembly line where the aforementioned workers were busy preparing canned and dry goods.
"Who's all this food for?" asked Halenio'ketalc as a worker pushing a hand truck full of canned vegetables passed. The worker proudly displayed the cans to Lord Xenu and his villainous guests.
"The people of Parzon, of course," said Lord Xenu as another worker presented a can opener. He opened the can and showed the contents, peas and carrots. "The rich and elite get their cut of the products, naturally, but I can assure you that since I inherited the position of C.E.O. of Xenu Enterprises from my father, no man, woman or child in Parzon has gone hungry, while unemployment is virtually nonexistent."
"You actually care about the peons and thralls of this flyspeck of a country?" asked a disapproving Zotarius.
"I care that they're loyal, productive and content," said Lord Xenu, "all children in Parzon are given several aptitude tests as they begin to mature. Those with endowments in the arts and sciences are encouraged to pursue their talents, while the less gifted are educated in mining, manufacturing, distribution and other forms of labor. And then of course, there's the option of joining the military. Promotions and positions of leadership are rewarded on merit and hard work. You can't buy or inherit your way into leadership, you have to prove that you can give orders and give them well, just as I proved that I can run my family's assets, as did my father and his father before him."
"Just as you're running Parzon," said Davis Blackwood.
"The ruling council trusts my advice and judgment," said Lord Xenu, "just as the people trust that I'll make things better for them. They're content with food in their bellies, clothes on their backs, roofs over their heads, protection against the pollutants, equal education and employment for all, and most of all, an army that not only protects our borders, but will expand them.
"But that's not why we're in this particular factory, my friends. Come, the best is just ahead."
"Where does all this food come from if Parzon has no fertile farmlands?" asked Halenio'ketalc as they made their way through the factory.
"I told you, we import it," said Lord Xenu, "at great cost, of course. But the profits from our manufactured exports has left Parzon with a vast financial surplus. How else can we afford free education and public health care for all? Not to mention other civil and military projects."
"Taxes?" asked Zotarius, "by squeezing the poor until they're on the verge of starvation?"
"And sow the seeds of revolution? I think not," said Lord Xenu. "Ah, here we are."
He led the Black Triskellion into what at first appeared to be an employee break room where prepared meals and snacks were distributed via an Automat. The room was currently empty as Lord Xenu showed the villains towards one section of the Automat that was marked 'Out of Order.'
Lord Xenu pressed a hidden switch on the vending bank, revealing a hidden staircase in the floor. Down they went several flights until they came to a hallway where several Parzon soldiers stood guard. At the end of the hallway was a single door, flanked by more guards.
Through the door Lord Xenu and his fellow villains went, where they found themselves in a vast laboratory, where several scientists were experimenting on a heat ray. The weapon in question was currently melting a block of solid steel, while the scientists and technicians looked on with pleased expressions and took notes.
"Our scientists are still working on controlling the weapon," said Lord Xenu as the heat ray shut off and was positioned in front of another block of steel, "on how to keep the device from overheating and destroying itself. But as you can see," the heat ray turned on and began melting the second steel block, "results are already promising.
"Just imagine; a fleet of Battle Tripods, each equipped with its own heat ray. Imagine those magnificent walkers incinerating everything in their path. Just imagine one or two Battle Tripods melting the royal palace of Enchancia.
"And this is just one weapon they're working on here. We've got a think-tank perfecting designs for what they call a 'molecular disruptor.' Instead of burning a target, it'll simply cause the object in question to disintegrate into nothing. We're even trying to perfect a delivery of poison gas that's instantly fatal to human life, but it's simply too powerful to be used in open warfare."
"I can guess that the wind is a major factor in the use of this weapon," said Halenio'ketalc, "still, all in all, very impressive. How soon can any of these weapons be implemented?"
"Not soon enough," said Lord Xenu, "scientists, they're never satisfied with results and always demand more tests, more time and resources, more funding. Still, these projects will be fantastic once finished, so for now, Enchancia will have to suffer conventional weapons of war."
After examining more experimental weapons and talking with the scientists, Lord Xenu lead his guests back up to the factory floor above. It was then that one of Lord Xenu's assistants up to his employer, an anxious look on his face as he whispered something into the ear of the boss of Parzon. Lord Xenu's expression changed from annoyed surprise to wrathful disappointment.
"Not bad news, I hope," said Davis Blackwood.
"It is," said Lord Xenu as he dismissed the assistant, "one of our commando units in Enchancia, the one in charge of the Titan raiding parties, reports that all three Titans in their charge were wiped out."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Zotarius, "you told me that The Titans were indestructible!"
"He said they were 'hard to kill,' you idiot! He said nothing about indestructibility." said Halenio'ketalc. She looked at Lord Xenu, "what happened to the Titan raiders?"
"Apparently someone in Enchancia knows the one weakness of the Titans," said Lord Xenu. "The full details await us at the fortress, but somehow, the enemy knows how to kill Titans."
They donned their regular clothing and gas masks again and rode the coal carriage back to the fortress. Back on Lord Xenu's office, a thick file folder waited on his desk.
"A report of everything involved with Project Titan so far," said Lord Xenu as he looked at the file folder, "how an experimental portal-generating device can open a doorway into Enchancia. We can only hold the door open for thirty-seven seconds at a time, nowhere near long enough to send a sizable force through, but long enough to send a small commando unit, then their supplies, and then the subdued Titans."
"Yes, you'll have to tell the rest of us how your people are able to control the abominations," said Davis Blackwood to Halenio'ketalc.
"Another time, perhaps," said the Raztonian sorceress.
"If you have a machine that can send troops from Parzon to Enchancia," said Zotarius to Lord Xenu, "why can't you use it to launch the invasion? Why bother politicking with Ustoria?"
"I already told you the device can only be active for thirty-seven seconds at a time," said Lord Xenu in an annoyed tone, "and then requires a considerable amount of time to recharge, so using it as a practical means of invading Enchancia isn't an option, yet.
"Anyway, the Titan raiding party has so far been successful in slaughtering Enchancian civilians, one village at a time, while also sowing seeds of fear in the rest of the population. Yet when the three creatures in question withdrew to the commando's base in a nearby swamp, they were pursued by Enchancian soldiers.
"Now, our commandos are very, very good at stealth and remained undetected during the ensuing battle, while the squad of Enchancian soldiers were on the verge of being devoured. That's when ten strangers attacked and inflicted fatal wounds on the Titans, right in their one vulnerable spot."
"The base of the neck," said Davis Blackwood, while Zotarius's hand went to the back of his neck. "What about these strangers? Who are they and where did they come from?"
"And how do they know how to kill Titans?" asked Halenio'ketalc.
"Unknown at this time," said Lord Xenu as he picked up a pen and began writing on a piece of parchment, "I'm issuing orders for the commando unit to withdraw to Parzon for the time being, assuming the generals don't decide to court martial them for incompetence. I'll let my spies in Enchancia figure out who these interlopers are."
Just then another assistant ran into the office and delivered another file folder to Lord Xenu, this one much thinner and containing several photographs.
"Ah, apparently the commando unit isn't as incompetent as thought," said Lord Xenu as the photographs showed Eren and his fell Survey Corps soldiers killing the three Titans.
"Wait…isn't that Princess Sofia?" asked Davis Blackwood as he picked up one of the photographs, which showed Sofia and Tess facing the Titans.
"It is!" exclaimed Lord Xenu, "What was she doing in that swamp!? And more importantly, what was the commando unit thinking when they had the Titans attack her? I'll have them court martialed and sentenced to the coal mines for the rest of their miserable lives!"
"According to the mission report," said Halenio'ketalc as she read the statement from the Parzon commandos, "Sofia and her party ran into the Titans, whom reacted instinctively and tried to eat the humans. The commandos apologize for losing control, while expressing that any mistakes on their part have been made up by recording the interlopers in action."
"They may very well have," said Lord Xenu. He then tore up the page he was writing and began a new order to issue, "I'll have them stay for now. They and the spy network in Enchancia are to find out everything they can about these newcomers, these children whom seem to know just how to fell a Titan."
"If I may suggest," said Davis Blackwood, "perhaps we can come up with something that can hinder Enchancia's war efforts, specifically those interlopers whom are so adapt at Titan slaying."
"Do you have something in mind?" asked Lord Xenu.
"I do indeed," said Davis Blackwood, "I've had something in mind for some time now. I must thank you again, Lord Xenu, for providing me with my own laboratory to run my experiments."
"As well as a laboratory for my people to conduct Titan research," said Halenio'ketalc, "acquiring the specimen was the easy part. Keeping it under control…"
It was then that the bellowing roar from below could be heard again, causing the Raztonian sorceress to clutch at her ears in agony.
"Speak of the devil!" cried Halenio'ketalc, "I thought I asked that that creature be kept quiet! I'm going to raise some hell with those idiots responsible for keeping the creature under control, by Vykkao'shatl'uq, I will!" with that she stormed out of the office.
"She needs to get laid, that one," remarked Zotarius as he poured some wine, "now, care to enlighten the rest of us on your brilliant idea, Davis old boy?"
"Oh, you'll like this idea," said Davis Blackwood, "are you familiar with the alchemic concept of the Chimera?"
…Enchancia…
"Well?" asked James as he and Malcolm walked around the grounds of the royal palace of Enchancia, "What do you think?"
"I'd be better able to think if there weren't so many eyes on me," said Malcolm as he indicated the half dozen soldiers serving as bodyguards that hung back from him and James.
"Yeah, sorry about them," said James, "Bailywick insisted you'd be under guard until my dad and Sofia got back. I told him I could handle one kid with a broken leg, but you know Bailywick, he's stubborn when it comes to the wellbeing of the royal family."
"I don't know him like you do," said Malcolm, "and my leg's much better, than you very much." He indicated his leg, now wrapped in a walking cast.
Having been examined by Roland's personal doctor, Malcolm's mood swings were confirmed as a side effect of mixing his blackout medication with a slight overdose of his painkillers. Malcolm then counted the number of painkiller pills he had left and realized that he must have taken a whole dose instead of half a one.
Fortunately for Malcolm, the doctor had an all-purpose detoxifying potion that cured him of his mood swings, as well as a bone-mending potion that greatly accelerated the healing of his leg. The doctor insisted that Malcolm keep his leg in a walking cast for at least a day while it finished mending and Malcolm wasn't interested in arguing at all.
Afterwards, Malcolm was properly introduced to James, whom was instantly awed by Malcolm's tales of The Magical Dimension and his exploits as a Keyblade Wielder.
"Guess it can't be helped," said Malcolm as he tried to ignore the bodyguards, "I wouldn't fully trust me if I were in Bailywick's shoes. Now, what were you asking?"
"I asked what you thought of the palace defenses?" asked James.
"Oh, right," said Malcolm, "yes…magically enhanced walls and windows, not to mention cannons and riffle positions, and good job with enhancing both by the way; making your guns more accurate and lethal, and introducing Shard Plate in your military. I'm no expert on warfare, magical or conventional, but I'd say you're well on your way to being ready for anything Parzon throws at you."
"I hope so," said James, "I really do. Parzon doesn't have any magic, but from what our spies in Parzon have to say, they're building a lot of heavy weapons and war machines that can cause a lot of damage. Their factories are churning out repeating riffles that are faster and more accurate than the ones our gunsmiths have been experimenting on."
"Again, I don't know that much about warfare," said Malcolm, "but I always believe that quality is often a higher virtue than quantity."
"Yeah, Enchancian weapons are built to last," said James, "I just wish we had a better spell or a cannonball powerful enough to take out a Parzon Land Cruiser with one shot instead of fifteen or more. And we still haven't found a way to take out one of their Battle Tripods without losing a lot of good soldiers."
"You do realize that for every spy you have in Parzon, they have one in Enchancia," said Malcolm.
"And for every commando unit and saboteur we have in Parzon, they've got one here," said James, "I know, I'm not an idiot. Well, I was when I was younger, kinda, but I've gotten a lot smarter and wiser since. And believe, I'm not as eager to crush Parzon as Sofia is. If we could find a way to settle our differences peacefully, if there was a chance to call off the war, I'd take it."
Before Malcolm could inquire further, he was interrupted as Bailywick rushed up to James, "I'm sorry to interrupt you and your friend's tour, your highness," said the royal steward as he cautiously eyed Malcolm, "but a message from your father and sister was just received; they are on their way back the palace and should arrive in a few minutes."
"Dad and Sofia are coming back?" asked James, "what happened? Are they alright? Did they find out what's wiping out the villages?"
"And what about Tess?" asked Malcolm, "is she okay?"
"I don't know," said Bailywick, "his majesty, the king, did not say anything about the mission in the message. It only said that he and Sofia were on their way back, that his physician should meet him on their arrival, and also to prepare several guest rooms."
"Guest rooms?" asked James, "We're having more guests?"
"Yes," said Bailywick, "I am to prepare accommodations not only for young Malcolm and Ms. Thatcher, but also for six additional young men and four young women."
"Wait, what was that about the doctor?" asked Malcolm, "who's hurt?"
"The message didn't say," said Bailywick. He then looked up and saw several flying coaches approaching the castle, "but we'll know soon enough."
Malcolm, James and Bailywick hurried to the front steps of the castle, as did several soldiers, a few castle servants and the royal physician, just as the coaches landed. Roland, Sofia and Tess emerged from the first coach, the former two supporting the later, whom was in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"Dad! Sofia!" called James as he hurried over, followed by Malcolm and Bailywick.
"We're fine, James," said Sofia, "but Tess isn't. She won't stop laughing."
"It's a joke!" laughed Tess, "it's all a big joke!" she then coughed a few times and took several deep breaths, before bursting into laughter again.
"Physically there's nothing wrong with her," said Roland, "but I'm no doctor, which is why I asked my own doctor to check her over."
"I'm sure she'll be fine, your majesty," said Bailywick as the doctor began examining Tess, "but please, what happened at the village?"
"The Titans, they're what happened," said Eren as he, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Bertold, Reiner, Sasha, Connie, Ymir and Krista exited the coaches.
"The what now?" asked James, "and who are you guys?"
"Friends, we hope," said Krista as she smiled at James, just as a passing cloud in front of the sun moved out of the way, bathing Krista in a shaft of golden light that enhanced her natural beauty. James blushed slightly and smiled back with smitten eyes.
"Ooh, someone's got a crush on Krista," whispered Connie in a teasing manner to his fellow Survey Corps.
"Some strange prince is in love with our goddess?" whispered Sasha irately
"Over my dead body," whispered Jean irately.
"I'm supposed to marry her," whispered Reiner.
"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by Titans?" asked Malcolm, "the only Titan's I'm familiar with are mythological beings, some are good, some are evil."
"Oh, these Titan's aren't myths," said Eren, "they're very real and very evil."
"We are here to teach the people of Enchancia how to fight them," said Mikasa.
"And you just happen to be here in Enchancia?" asked Malcolm.
"They came at just the right time," said Sofia, "Tess and I would probably be dead or worse by now if it weren't for Eren and the others."
"And you guys just happened to come at the right time?" asked Malcolm, "and be in just the right place to help? Wait…no, no! She didn't!"
"Who didn't?" asked James.
Malcolm ignored James as he walked up to Eren, "did a certain semi-immortal time traveler with a bad habit of meddling send you?"
"Alegra Wells? Yeah, she sent us," said Eren.
"Alegra!" guffawed Tess, "it's always Alegra!"
"We have to do something for her!" said Sofia, "the doctor just told me he couldn't find anything wrong with her. Wait, I know who can help. We've got to get her to Cedric!"
"What makes you think Cedric can help Tess?" asked James.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten all the times he's helped us with his magic, James," said Sofia.
"I didn't," said James, "nor did I forget the times his magic got us into trouble."
"He's still a good wizard," said Sofia, "I trust him, and so does Dad," she then looked at Roland, "right, Dad?"
"I admit, Cedric has his moments, but he's always come through when needed," said Roland, "most of the time, right, Bailywick?"
"Yes, your majesty," said Bailywick drily, "most of the time."
"Then it's settled," said Roland, "James, Sofia, you'll take Tess to Cedric. Bailywick, be so kind as to see to arranging rooms for our friends from other worlds. I'll catch up with you all after I meet with my staff. If Parzon is indeed using these Titans as weapons of war, then the whole kingdom needs to be notified imediately."
"If you'll let us talk to your generals and military staff, your majesty," said Eren, "we'll give a full report on The Titans. Everything we know about fighting and killing them, we'll tell you guys."
"Can I come too?" asked James, "I'm as much a member of dad's war council as those stuck up generals. And I want to get to know Eren and the others." He then looked at Krista, whom looked back and smiled, causing James to look away with a slight blush.
"You can talk with them later, James," said Sofia, "I need your help getting Tess to Cedric."
"Why do I need to help?" asked James, only to be startled when Tess wrapped her arms around him, still laughing like there was no tomorrow. "I…see what you mean," he said in an uncomfortable manner.
"I'll come with you," said Malcolm as he and Sofia unclasped Tess from James. He then looked at Sofia, "we haven't been introduced yet, I'm Malcolm, another Keyblade Wielder." With that he held out his hand.
"Hi, Malcolm, I'm Sofia," she said as she shook Malcolm's hand.
A short time later found Sofia, James, Malcolm and the still guffawing Tess outside a door at the top of a staircase in one of the castle towers, with Sofia knocking on the door, "Mr. Cedric! It's Sofia!"
"I know it's you, Sofia!" called a deep, accented voice from within, "it's always you. Whatever it is this time, it has to wait, I'm very busy."
"It can't wait, Cedric!" said James as Tess threw her arms around him again, "we've got a sick friend here!"
"Then take her to the doctor, James!" called the voice, Cedric, "honestly, one would think you had enough intelligence to figure that out!"
"I'm not that dumb," muttered James.
"The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with her," said Sofia, "please, Cedric! We wouldn't be asking you if it wasn't important."
"It's always important," sighed an annoyed Cedric. He sighed again, "alright, just give me a moment."
There then came the sound of clattering cauldrons and glass bottles, the rustling of pages and scrolls and the scraping of a chair, followed by the sound of a lock turning. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with graying black hair with a white patch in the middle and a very long, pointed nose, wearing purple wizarding robes and black, fingerless gloves.
"Now, what seems to be the matter with your friend, Sofia?" asked Cedric.
At that Tess pointed at Cedric and began laughing harder, "Needle Nose! Needle Nose!"
"What?!" exclaimed Cedric, "how dare you, young lady! I don't have to stand here and be the subject of a cruel and utterly tasteless joke! If I wanted to be made fun of, I'd go visit my relatives!" he then glared at Sofia, "and you, Sofia, I honestly thought such behavior was beneath you! Good day, princess!" with that he slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Well, so much for that," said James as Tess clutched her arms around him again.
"It's not over yet, James," said Sofia. She then knocked on the door again, "I'm sorry, Cedric! She's usually not like this," she looked at Malcolm, "is she?"
"I sincerely hope not," said Malcolm as Tess threw her arms around him.
"Come on, Mr. Cedric!" said Sofia as she knocked on the door again, "I'm sorry for what Tess said, she didn't mean it."
"Go away, Sofia!" called Cedric from within.
"He's not going to help us, Sofia," said James, "looks like it's back to the doctor."
"And get another inconclusive diagnosis? I think not," said Malcolm as he managed to shrug Tess off of him. He then summoned his Keyblade and aimed it at the door, "Alohomora!"
With a flash of magic, the door unlocked and swung open, through which Malcolm, James and Sofia helped Tess.
Inside was a typical wizard's workshop, complete with spellbooks, potion ingredients and a plethora of magical items, with Cedric standing before a bubbling cauldron to which he was adding dried herbs.
"What…How dare you intrude into my workshop!" snapped Cedric. He then looked at Malcolm curiously, "and how did you manage to counter my locking spell? I modified it myself."
"Most locks can be countered with the Alohomora spell," said Malcolm, "but I didn't realize you made that lock spell your own, that's pretty ingenious."
"Oh, you can appreciate personalized spells?" asked Cedric, "where did you study, young wizard?"
"I'm mostly self-taught," said Malcolm, "My parents wanted me to go to hero school, but I've always had a talent for the mystic arts."
"My parents didn't understand me either," said Cedric, "for the longest time, my father saw me as nothing more than an incompetent disappointment, while my mother kept pushing me to overachieve."
"Parents just don't understand," said Malcolm, "and I'd love nothing more than to sit and compare how unfair our folks were, and to talk about magic, but I've got a pretty sick friend here and the doctors don't know what's wrong with her."
"Please, Mr. Cedric?" asked Sofia as she smiled hopefully.
"Yeah, be a pal and get her to stop laughing," said James as he tried to get Tess off of him, "at least stop her from glomping everyone."
"Oh…alright," said Cedric reluctantly, "bring her over and I'll see what I can do."
"Look at the funny bird!" laughed Tess as James, Sofia and Malcolm helped her over to a nearby table, with Cedric gathering up the clutter to make room, "Everyone! Look at the funny bird! Hi, funny bird!"
Malcolm looked up to see a raven perched in the rafters of the workshop, glaring down disapprovingly at him and the others.
"That's just Wormwood," said Sofia as she and James helped Tess onto the table, "Cedric's pet. Don't mind him, he's just cranky."
At that Wormwood gave a disgruntled 'Caw!' and flapped off to a different part of the workshop.
"Well, I'm sorry we're interrupting your nap," said Sofia to the raven, "but Tess needs help."
"You talk to animals?" asked Malcolm.
"She's been able to do that for years," said James, "long story."
"Now, what seems to be the matter with the young lady?" asked Cedric as he looked over Tess.
"She just can't stop laughing," Sofia, "and like I said, the doctor can't figure out what's wrong with her."
"Hmmm," said Cedric as he pulled out a complicated-looking magical device, pondered it for a second before tossing it over his shoulder, then pulled out another device, "how long has she been this way?"
"At least since Eren and the others showed up in the swamp," said Sofia, "no, wait, it was after they showed up and said that they were sent by Alegra Wells."
"Alegra Wells!" guffawed Tess, "the bane of my existence!"
"She doesn't like Alegra that much," said Malcolm to James and Sofia.
"I can't imagine why," said James.
"You say you were in a swamp, Sofia?" asked Cedric as he pulled out an enhanced magnifying glass and began examining Tess's skin, "tell me, did this doctor happen to check for mosquito bites? And did he check you for bites for that matter, Sofia?'
"Mosquito bites?" asked Sofia. She then examined her skin and to her surprise, found several bites on her arms, legs and neck. Her eyes then went wide in shock, her face grimacing as she furiously began scratching, "oh gosh! I never thought anything could itch so much!"
"Don't scratch! You'll only make it itch worse!" said James.
"It doesn't get worse than this!" cried Sofia. She then heard Wormwood cawing in a laughing manner, "Oh shut up!" shouted Sofia irately. She then glared at Tess, "and you shut up too!"
"I'm not laughing at you," said Tess as she tried to calm down, then burst into laughter again, "but you sure do look funny right about now!" she then laughed even harder.
"Just hang on, Sofia," said Malcolm in an insisting manner, "I'll fix something for you in a moment," he then looked at Cedric, "may I have use of your workshop?"
"Uh…yes, you may, thank you for asking," said a slightly uncomfortable Cedric, "just…just keep everything where it is. I've got all my supplies and equipment organized just the way I like it."
"I know to respect another wizard's workspace," said Malcolm as he prepared a caldron for himself, filling it with water and lighting a fire beneath, then began gathering ingredients for a potion. "Don't mind me, I'll put everything back the way I found it. Now, what's wrong with Tess?"
"I believe she's suffering from a bad case of The Giggles," said Cedric.
"Uh, duh!" said James irately.
"This is no ordinary fit of silliness, James," said Cedric, "this is a very serious illness."
"I think I heard of The Giggles," said Sofia, "it's a real disease that killed people a while back."
"'Death by Jocularity,'" said Cedric, "the virus triggers an uncontrolled and extended fit of laughter that can cause the patient to asphyxiate or suffer a heart attack. For many years, people feared the fate of laughing to death. It wasn't until approximately thirteen years ago that the cause and cure of the sickness was found."
"Let me guess; it's spread by mosquitoes?" asked Malcolm as he continued to mix in ingredients to his potion.
"Yes," said an impressed Cedric, "attempts were made to eradicate the mosquito population proved moderately successful, but a few cases kept popping up. Eventually a cure and vaccine was found," he then looked at James and Sofia, "all children in Enchancia began receiving inoculations for The Giggles about thirteen years ago."
"But Tess isn't from Enchancia," said James, "that's why she got the bug and Sofia didn't."
"Oh, I got the bugs, alright," said Sofia as she clenched her fists and tried to ignore the intense itching.
"I just need another moment to finish," said Malcolm as he stirred the cauldron, "now, what's that about a cure?"
"I have a sample of it here, somewhere," said Cedric as he began rummaging through his potion supplies, "a few people come down with the sickness now and then. Ah, here it is!" he then pulled out a vial of bluish green liquid.
"That's great, Cedric," said James, "but how are you gonna get her to drink that if she's laughing? She'll choke on it."
"Oh, she won't be drinking this," said Cedric, "just help her sit up, if you please."
At that James helped Tess sit up as Cedric uncorked the vial, releasing bluish green fumes that he held up to her face. She inhaled the fumes and after a few seconds, began to calm down. It wasn't long before she had completely stopped laughing.
"Oh…oh thank God!" sighed Tess as she leaned back in James's arms, "I don't ever want to hear another joke again."
"I'm so glad you're okay now, Tess," said Sophia, "now, can someone please do something about this horrible itching?! I'm going crazy!"
"Mosquito bites?" asked Tess. She then winced and began scratching at her arms, "oh great! Now I can't stop scratching!"
"Hold on! I'm almost done!" said Malcolm as he kept stirring the cauldron. He then used a pot holder to pick up the cauldron and brought it over, a thick brown paste-like substance had formed in it from which could be smelled the smell of rotten eggs, "sorry about the brimstone, but you'll thank me for it later. Just slather some on each bite, trust me."
"At this point, I'll try anything," said Sofia as she used a wooden stirring spoon to apply the paste to her bites, "no matter how much it smells! Oh…oh, that's so much better."
Tess began applying the paste to her bites and sighed with relief as the itching went away, "Malcolm, if you and I didn't already have our special someone's, I'd kiss you. What is this stuff, anyway?"
"Just one of my great-granny's home remedies," said Malcolm, "and don't ask what's in it, you're better off not knowing."
"I'll take your word for it," said Tess. She then yawned deeply, "good grief, I'm exhausted."
"Not surprising," said Cedric, "I recommend a good night's sleep and plenty of relaxation tomorrow."
"I can't, there's too much to do," said Tess as she got off the table, swaying a bit as a slight dizzy spell hit her, "there's a war on, you know."
"Yes, I've read about it in the papers," said Cedric sarcastically, "I'm sure the war effort can do without you for a little while, unless you'd rather further risk your health. Then again, who am I to tell you what you can and cannot do?"
"I'll make sure she gets some rest, Mr. Cedric," said Sofia. She then looked at Tess, "at least take a nap until dinner time. My mom should be back from an inspection tour of the hospitals, so you can meet her then."
"Oh yeah," said James eagerly, "you've got to meet mom. And then after dinner we can talk about Keyblades, Heartless and the worlds you've seen."
"I thought you wanted to talk with Eren and his friends about their world and the Titans," said Sofia.
"Oh, that's right! I gotta run!" said James. With that he dashed out of the workshop.
"He's easily distracted," said Tess.
"You should have seen him when he was younger," said Sofia, "come on, let's get you someplace comfortable."
"I'm sure Bailywick has a guest room picked out for me by now," said Tess.
"Are you kidding?" asked Sofia, "no way you're spending the night in a guest room. You're bunking with me, Tess."
"Oh, that's not necessary," said Tess modestly.
"Oh, it is," insisted Sofia, "besides, we've got to get you ready for tonight's banquet."
"Of course," said a slightly annoyed and bored Cedric, "your mother's been away all week, so naturally, your aunt Matilda wants to make a fuss of it."
"Aunt Tilly's just trying to keep everyone's spirits up," said Sofia. She then looked at Tess, "and she'll want to fuss over you as well. She practically sees you as another niece already."
"I…I wouldn't take our friendship as sisterly just yet," said Tess, "and it's really not necessary. I just want to crash for a few hours and get back to work."
"What's the point of fighting a war if you can't have some fun now and then?" asked Sofia as she and Tess headed for the door, "now, I've got a few of my outfits that'll fit you almost perfectly. I just need to make a few alterations."
"Now that's really not necessary," said Tess, "I don't need to borrow your outfits. I'm not into dresses anyway."
"You will when you see my closet," said Sofia, "and we're practically the same size."
"Really?" asked Tess, "well…I guess it couldn't hurt to try on a few outfits."
"That's the spirit!" said Sofia happily as she and Tess walked hand in hand out of the workshop.
"And here I was worried about Sofia's heart cracking," said Malcolm to himself, "she's practically a Princess of Heart without actually being one."
"Her heart is full of love and goodness, yes," said Cedric, "but there is a darkness inside of Sofia. She'll never forgiven Lord Xenu and Parazon what they did to Princess Amber, what they tried to do to her. Sofia may radiate warmth and light, but the seeds of hate and rage have taken root."
"Then it's a good thing Tess and I are here to keep an eye on Sofia," said Malcolm. He then looked at Cedric with serious eyes, "just as I can keep an eye on you, in case you have any ideas of taking advantage of the wartime situation."
"Why, whatever do you mean?" asked Cedric, "I would never take advantage of the war to further my own goals, let alone take over Enchancia." He then realized he had spoken too soon, "I…don't suppose you can overlook that little slip of the tongue, could you?"
"I'm afraid not," said Malcolm, "though I'm not surprised; I figured you as a potential villain as soon as you first opened that door."
At that Wormwood cawed irately and flapped down to the table, glaring wrathfully at Malcolm.
"There's no point in hiding it, Wormwood," said Cedric, "our young friend here has enough power to counter anything I can try." He then looked at Malcolm, "but how did you figure out that I have ambitions of ruling Enchancia?"
"I learned both light and dark magic," said Malcolm, "I've learned how to recognize evil in the hearts of men. Some are better able to hide their inner darkness than others, but you're the kind of villain who's struggled between giving in to evil and trying to do the right thing."
"You're right," said an exasperated Cedric as he slumped into a chair, "I want so desperately to take over Enchancia and make it my own. You have no idea what it was like working for Roland. For so long I was nothing more than an entertainer to that fool of a king. Yes, he's a good man and a good sovereign, heavens' knows he loves his family and would do anything to keep Miranda and his children safe, but did he respect me? Did he ever truly recognize my talents?"
"Did he?" asked Malcolm.
"Not for many years," said Cedric, "for so long it was 'make some fireworks this event, Cedric,' or 'come up with a spectacular spell for that celebration, Cedric,' and 'help us with this trivial problem, Cedric.' You have no idea how hard it was not to try and take over the kingdom by force. I had to play it safe and wait until I could get my hands on The Amulet of Avalor."
"That item Sofia wears?" asked Malcolm, "I thought I sensed a powerful magic around her. But if what I sensed from that item was right, then if you tried to use it for evil, then…"
"Then something terrible would have happened to me," said Cedric, "it took me a few years and many, many failed attempts to acquire The Amulet to learn enough about it to realize the truth. The one time I managed to get my hands on it, I learned the hard way of using it for evil."
"I can think of how that item would punish evildoers," said Malcolm, "so, was that what made you give up your ambitions of kingdom domination?"
"Oh, I still think I can be a better ruler than Roland," said Cedric, "sometimes, I mean. But no, it was Sofia that made me stop trying. No matter how many times I tried to take the Amulet of Avalor from her, she never saw me as her enemy. I have always been and always will be a friend to her.
"That's just one thing that makes Sofia so special; no matter what life threw at her, be it the trials and tribulations of learning to be a princess, helping solve problems for friends and strangers, or evil the occasional visiting villain out to spread villainy across the kingdom, Sofia never lost her inner goodness."
"Until the conflict with Parzon," said Malcolm.
"Something changed in her the night Amber was abducted," said Cedric, "no one knows what happened when King Roland rescued Amber, and he will not talk about it, not even with Queen Miranda. But ever since Amber locked herself away in her room, Sofia began to take things much more seriously. She stopped smiling as much, she threw herself into training and eagerly waits for the day she can lead her share of Enchancia's armies into Parzon and come back with Lord Xenu's head on a spike."
"That's what Tess and I are here to do," said Malcolm, "stop Sofia before it's too late. If she kills in cold blood, especially if it's a hated enemy like Lord Xenu, it could send her down a dark path that she may never be able to turn away from."
"I fear it may already be too late," said Cedric, "what happened to Amber truly shook Sofia. They had become very close since becoming sisters. They were sisters in every respect except by blood."
"Yeah, I'd be pissed if someone kidnapped my sister, forced her to marry him and raped her," said Malcolm, "I'd want to kill the bastard, but I'd let the law do its job and see the bastard punished accordingly."
"I can only hope that Sofia feels the same way when the moment of truth comes," said Cedric, "but she may have already gone past the point of no return. Come what may, she'll never be the same again."
"Then it's a good thing we're here to make sure she doesn't go too far into the abyss," said Malcolm.
...A Few Hours Later...
"I look like a little girl's doll," said an irate Tess through gritted teeth as she stood in front of a mirror in Sofia's room. Tess was wearing a bright blue and green sleeveless gown with blue gloves and high heels, while her hair and makeup had been done by Sofia.
"You look lovely, accept it," said Sofia, whom was currently wearing a lavender, short-sleeve gown with a ruffled skirt and matching accessories, while atop her hair was a tiara that had a slight glow about it. Proudly displayed around her neck was the Amulet of Avalor.
"I'm just not comfortable playing frufru," said Tess, "I'm a girl of action," she then awkwardly turned around in her high heels, "I can't move around in these. What if I need to run?"
"Running in high heels isn't that hard," said Sofia, "though they do get a bit uncomfortable standing in them for a while. But there's a secret. As soon as you sit down at the table, take them off, then slip them back on when you get up. It'll be alright, Tess, it's only for a few hours."
"Well, if it's just for a few hours," said Tess. She then looked at her reflection again, "do I really look okay?"
"I'll tell you this," said Sofia eagerly, "if your special someone saw you right now, he'd be putty in your hands."
At that Tess laughed, "the day Riku turns to putty is the day I take up raising purebred cats. Alright then," she then pressed her wrists, "let's do this!"
With that Sofia and Tess walked out into the hallway and made their way towards the dining hall. But then, as Tess was admiring the various artworks adorning the hallway, she realized that Sofia had stopped by one of the doors.
"What's wrong?" asked Tess as she looked at Sofia, seeing the look of pained longing on her face
"This…this is Amber's room," said Sofia in a slightly strained tone.
"Oh, well," said Tess, remembering what she heard about Amber, "I guess we should just leave her be, then."
"No, I'm still gonna try," said a determined Sofia. She then stepped up to the door and knocked. "Amber? It's Sofia! Won't you come out and down to supper? Mom's home again and I'm sure she'd love to see you, we all would."
"No, Sofia," called a girl's voice from the other side of the door, "I won't come out. I want to be alone."
"But you've been alone for so long, Amber!" said Sofia, "you haven't stepped out of your room in years and you hardly let anyone in, and even then to have your room cleaned and meals brought in, and you're always hiding behind a privacy screen!"
"That's how I am now, Sofia!" said Amber, "I don't want to see anyone and I don't want anyone to see me! Please understand, Sofia, I want to be alone!"
"I…alright, Amber," said a subdued Sofia, "I'll go." With that she backed away from the door.
"That's it? You're giving up so soon?" asked Tess.
"What else can I do?" asked Sofia, "we've all tried talking to Amber over the years; Mom, Dad, James, Bailywick, Aunt Tilly, her friends from school, she won't let anyone in except a few trusted servants." She then sighed, "I've all but given up trying."
"Well, I haven't tried yet," said Tess, "and now's as good a time as any." With that she walked up to the door.
"What are you doing?" asked a startled Sofia.
"What a Keyblade Wielder does best," said Tess, "meddle." She then pounded on the door with her fist, "Princess Amber! Open up! I want to talk to you face to face!"
"Who are you and how dare you intrude on my privacy!?" exclaimed Amber, "Sofia, are you doing this? Or is it James? I told you all that I want to be alone! So leave me alone already!"
"I'm a friend of Sofia," said Tess, "and someone very worried about your wellbeing. Look, I know you've been through something awful. Goodness knows I know how you feel and…"
It was then that something heavy slammed into the door on the other side, startling Tess and forcing her back.
"You don't know anything about me!" shouted Amber, "I don't want you to know anything about me and I don't want to know anything about you! Just LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Alright, already!" said Tess, "I'll go, but I'll be back. You think you're stubborn? You ain't seen nothing yet. Your days of wallowing in misery are over!" with that she walked away from the door.
"Why did you do that?" asked Sofia as she caught up with Tess, "why couldn't you leave well enough alone?"
"I told you, meddling is what a Keyblade Wielder does best," said Tess, "your sister went through a horrifically traumatizing event and did the wrong thing by shutting herself away like that."
"Don't you think we tried to help her?" asked an irate Sofia, "dad brought in the best therapists to try and help Amber but she wouldn't talk to anyone. We all tried to talk to her but all she said was that she wanted to be alone. One doctor suggested that we let Amber have some alone time and she's been in her room since. We all try to get her to come out of her isolation, but the harder we press, the more she pushes away." She then glared angrily at Tess, "and what you did just now might have destroyed any hope of Amber opening up, even a hairsbreadth. And why did you do it? Because you are good at meddling?"
"I did it because I wanted to help you!" said Tess, "to try and stop the darkness growing in your heart!"
At that Sofia grabbed Tess and shoved her against the wall in a surprising and slightly terrifying display of strength, a look of barely contained rage on her face. "What do you know about the darkness in my heart!? We only met today and you think you're an expert on my life!? Who do you think you are?!"
"I just want to help!" exclaimed a now frightened Tess as she realized that if Sofia truly wanted to hurt her, she could, "I'm sorry! I only want to help!"
Sofia then calmed down, a look of shame on her face as she realized just how close she came to hurting her friend. She released Tess and backed away, "no, I'm sorry. I…I don't know what came over me."
"I do," said Tess as she straightened her dress and walked over to Sofia, "all that hate and anger you have for Parzon and Xenu, it's eating you up on the inside, and it'll destroy you if you're not careful."
"I can't help but hate Lord Xenu for what he did," said Sofia, "and I can't help but be angry at Parzon for wanting to destroy Enchancia. Do you know what Parzon plans to do to the people of Enchancia if they conquer the kingdom? They're going to enslave every man, woman and child they can get their hands on and turn Enchancia into one big farming commune, all so Lord Xenu and the other leaders of Parzon won't have to pay so much to import food.
"I'd let go my personal hatred for Lord Xenu if I could, but I'll be damned before I allow a single citizen of Enchancia to be thrown in chains. That I cannot forgive or forget."
"I understand," said Tess, "believe me, I do understand. I came from a world that was violated in body and soul by wicked men, just as I was violated in body and soul. I allowed hate and rage to consume me for so long, all for the sake of vengeance. I was so close to losing myself to the darkness.
"But I didn't lose myself. I had friends who pulled me back from the abyss and walk back into the light. They helped me remove the scars of my pain, both physical and emotional. I'm still kinda crazy, but in a good way now. But you're walking the same path of hate, anger and revenge I did and if you're not careful, you'll fall and never get back up again."
"Don't you think I want to give up being so angry?" asked Sofia, "I'd call off the war and try to make peace with Parzon if I could. I'd give up all this hate, I'd give up revenge on Lord Xenu," she then took off her right glove and showed Tess her palm, "but it's not that simple."
Tess then saw a circular scar on Sofia's palm, then looked closer to see that the circle wasn't complete, that a few millimeters of the circle was missing. Tess then blinked and almost backed away as she saw the scar give off a slight scarlet glow.
"What is that?" asked Tess.
"It's called 'The Circle of Vengeance,'" said Sofia as she looked at her hand, "it's a reminder of a vow I made after Amber closed herself up in her room. When we all realized how badly traumatized Amber was by her abduction, dad swore that Parzon and Xenu would pay. That's when Enchancia began readying for war.
"But it wasn't enough for me. I asked, then begged mom and dad for permission to join the military and train with Shardplate. It took a while but they said yes. James had already begun his training, but I quickly caught up and we're more or less evenly skilled.
"But it still wasn't enough. I wasn't satisfied, and I knew I wouldn't be satisfied until Lord Xenu was dead by my hands. It took a while, but I found a way to be satisfied. I found a ritual that involves casting a reminding spell on a self-inflicted wound."
"Sounds like dark magic to me," said Tess cautiously.
"It was," said Sofia, "I'm pretty good at magic, nowhere near as good a wizard as Mr. Cedric and others I've met, but good enough to perform the ritual. My scar will glow and throb with pain several times a day, reminding me that I cannot rest until I've killed Lord Xenu. Only then will the broken circle be whole. Only then will the Circle of Vengeance be complete and disappear."
"I hope there's a way to get rid of that scar before it's too late," said Tess, "because if you carry out your revenge to completion, if you kill Lord Xenu in cold blood, you'll never be the same."
"Oh, like you haven't killed in cold blood before," said Sofia, "I've been around hardened veterans enough to recognize someone with blood on their hands."
"It's true, I've killed in cold blood," said Tess, "and I don't think temporary insanity can excuse my actions. I enjoyed what I did, for deep down, I knew I was killing for the sake of righteousness. Look, we can stand here all night and into tomorrow, talking about our pasts and plans for revenge and blood, or we can try and figure out a way to help you avenge your sister without losing your heart to the darkness."
"We can start by getting rid of that cursed scar," said Malcolm, now wearing a black and white tuxedo, as he walked up to them.
"What in the name of insanity are you wearing?" asked Sofia as she looked at Malcolm with confused eyes.
"Don't they have tuxedos in Enchancia?" asked Malcolm, "now let me see that hand already."
"How long were you listening?" asked Tess as Malcolm took Sofia's hand and looked at her palm.
"Long enough to know that Sofia's been messing in things best left alone," said Malcolm, "oh, you look great, Tess."
"Really?" asked a slightly blushing Tess.
"I told you, you looked great," said Sofia. She then looked at Malcolm, "now what did you say about getting rid of my scar?"
"Yes, about this scar," said Malcolm, "it's no ordinary oath-reminding scar. This was made with a powerful spell involving powerful magics bordering on dark. Who cast it?"
"I did," said Sofia. "And yes, I know it was a risky spell. But I didn't care at the time, all I thought was how worth it would be when we storm Parzon and come back with Lord Xenu's head on a spike."
"That may still happen," said Malcolm, "from what I heard from Cedric, there's a lot of irate people in Enchancia whom want this war."
"Never mind the politics," said Tess, "can you remove the scar?"
"I'd need to do some research first," said Malcolm, "but I can tell you this right now; you're incredibly lucky it hasn't driven you insane by now."
"Driven me crazy?" asked a startled Sofia.
"You made it so that your scar would hurt to remind you of your need of revenge," said Malcolm, "such curses are meant to be fulfilled within relatively short periods of time, like a few months on the outside, and that's stretching it. There are different rituals for long-term revenge planning, but from what I can tell, yours was meant to be carried out almost immediately, and by delaying your revenge for so long, you've put your live in danger."
"How?" asked Sofia, her eyes wide with fear.
"The pain in the scar is supposed to grow the longer you delay your revenge," said Malcolm to Sofia, "as a further incentive on vengeance. If you gave yourself this cursed scar as many years ago as you say you did, then the pain should have killed you already, or at least driven you hopelessly insane."
"But why hasn't it?" asked Tess.
"My amulet," said Sofia as her left hand reached up and touched the Amulet of Avalor, "it's powers must be protecting me."
"Yes, it is a powerful artifact for good," said Malcolm, "its positive energies must be negating the worst of the curse. How long have you had it?"
"Since I first became a princess," said Sofia, "dad gave it to me. He said it had magic powers and I was to never take it off. It's helped me out of more than a few tight spots, and taught me more than a few valuable life lessons; 'With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse,'"
"If it rewards good deeds and punishes wicked behavior, or something like that," said Tess, "why didn't it punish you when you cursed yourself?"
"That's a good question," said Malcolm, "and I don't have what I need right now to get the answers." Just then they heard three stomachs growl, "besides, I'm famished."
"You think you're hungry?" asked Tess, "you're not the one who fought a bunch of man-eating giants and nearly laughed herself to death."
"Well, you're not the one who had his leg rapidly healed," said Malcolm, "it really takes it out of you, accelerated bone mending, you know."
"I'm not that hungry," said Sofia, "oh, wait, I know who it is," she then walked up to a nearby hanging tapestry and knelt down, "it's alright, Clover, they're friends."
At that a gray-furred rabbit with long, floppy ears hopped out from behind the tapestry. He looked up at Sofia with inquisitive eyes, then suspiciously eyed Tess and Malcolm.
"They here to help, Clover, and yes, I trust them," said Sofia, "and so should you."
"Hello, Clover," said Tess as she knelt down and held out her hand. Cautiously, Clover hopped over and allowed Tess to scratch him behind the ears. "You really have a way with animals, Sofia."
"Clover's one of the first friends I made as a princess," said Sofia as she knelt down to scratch Clover behind his other ear, earning a happy leg thumping from him, "We've been through so many adventures together, I've lost count."
"I'd probably do just about anything to be able to talk to animals," said Tess.
"You know, I think I may know a spell for communicating with animals," said Malcolm, "at least I think I did. Must have been one of the first spells I tried to learn when I was little."
Just then they all heard Clover's stomach growl loudly.
"I guess that ends that conversation," said Sofia as she picked up Clover.
They then went downstairs to the dining hall where the servants were serving Hors d'oeuvres. Already there were various officers and officials in dress uniforms and formal wear. Off to one side was James, talking with Eren, Mikasa and Armin, the latter three still in their uniforms and harnesses, only much cleaner.
"No way," said James, "no way you guys spent your whole lives behind fifty-meter walls. No way you've never seen a mountain or an ocean."
"Well, we have now," said Eren, "I have to say, with all sincerity, that Enchancia is the most beautiful place I've ever seen."
"Well, you've only seen part of it," said James, "wait till you've seen the rest," he then leaned around, as if looking for someone, "hey, where's Krista?"
"That's a good question," said Eren as he looked around, "and where are Jean, Connie, Sasha and the others?"
"They're still setting things up in our quarters," said Mikasa, "but I'm sure that as soon as Sasha gets a whiff free food, she'll be here in a heartbeat."
"She'll be here in half a heartbeat," said Armin, "I just hope she and the others can set up the Gas recharging equipment set up before she decides to recharge her stomach."
"Yes, this Gas you use," said James, "and those harnesses you wear, how do they work?"
"Our Three-Dimension Maneuvering Gear?" asked Eren, "that's…complicated."
"Basically there are two trigger devices that we use to fire grappling hooks on retractable wires," said Mikasa, "the wires are attached to the holding modules for our blades and Gas cylinders, on our backs are the Fan Selectors that use Gas to propel us through the air."
"With the 3DMG," said Armin, "we can all but fly, and out maneuver Titans."
"Man, I'd give my right eye to be able to use one of those things," said James, "it must be so cool to be able to fly like you guys do."
"We don't fly," said Eren in a serious tone, "and the 3DMG isn't a toy. It's our best and only advantage we have over The Titans, that and they're mostly slow and stupid."
"Some are a bit faster and smarter," said Armin, "and then there's the Deviant Types."
"What kind of Titans are those?" asked Tess as she, Sofia and Malcolm walked over, while Sofia signaled for a servant to bring over a tray of vegetables for Clover.
"Weird ones that are different from the average Titan," said Armin, "some Deviant Types, or Abnormals, are able to run when other Titans usually walk. Some can jump, while other Abnormals display intelligence."
"How intelligent?" asked Malcolm, "how smart?"
"Smart enough to avoid traps," said Mikasa, "and even learn from mistakes."
"What about communication?" asked Sofia, "can they pass on information to each other?"
"They can't even talk," said Armin, "mostly. There have been rumors of some Abnormals talking, but again, just rumors. But some Titans have special abilities. The Colossal, a sixty meter, skinless freak of a Titan, the one that originally breached The Wall at our hometown of Shiganshina, and then again at Trost, it constantly emits extremely hot steam from its body, making it very hard to get close to.
"Then there's The Armored Titan. That one's body is covered in natural armor plating and can run so fast, it was able to ram right through the gate of Shiganshina and truly breach Wall Maria. When the Colossal Titan showed up again to breach the Wall at Trost, we were expecting the Armored Titan to show up again and fully breach Wall Rose, but it didn't.
"And then there's the Smiling Titan that ate…" that's as far as Armin got as he realized the intense look on Eren's face, "uh…never mind that. Anyway, there's the Female Titan. Most Titans look male and we rarely see ones that have female attributes, but this one, not only could it harden its skin like crystal, it was actually one of our friends."
"Some people on our world can transform into Titans," said Mikasa.
At that Tess spurted out the juice she had been drinking, "What!?" she asked, while Malcolm, Sofia and James looked equally shocked.
"It's true," said Eren, "somehow, and I don't know how, our friend Annie Leonhart has the power to become a Titan, and she used that power to murder a lot of our friends. That's part of why we're here in Enchancia. These aliens, Raztonians, they took Annie and brought her to this world. We think the Raztonians are somehow working with Parzon."
"How'd you figure…oh, right, Alegra," said Malcolm.
"I'm either gonna punch her in the face the next time I see her," said Tess, "or give her a hug. What else did Alegra tell you?"
"Only that there's more going on here in Enchancia than just the feud between Enchancia and Parzon," said Armin, "that the involvement of The Titans is part of a greater conspiracy. That's all Alegra told us before she left with her friend Sabrina."
"Don't forget her talking cat, Salem," said Eren, "like I'll ever forget a talking cat."
"And you could understand that cat without magic?" asked Sofia.
"As far as we know, there is no magic on our world," said Armin, "at least none that we've seen. But Sabrina, she's a good person, and a good witch with a good heart."
"I sincerely hope her heart's good," said Tess, "and strong, if she's traveling with Alegra that is."
It was then that Bailywick stood at the doorway of the dining hall and loudly cleared his throat, causing everyone in the room to stop talking and pay attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Bailywick, "honored guests from other worlds, announcing their royal highnesses, King Roland and Queen Miranda of Enchancia!"
At that Roland, now wearing a blue and tan dress jacket and trousers with a blue and white sash across his shoulders, walked in, hand in hand with Miranda, wearing a rose and peach colored gown with a glowing tiara atop her head.
"MOM!" shouted Sofia joyfully as she rushed up to and embraced Miranda, "I missed you so much, and you're not going to believe what happened to me today."
"From what I heard on the way home, Sofia, I'd be hard pressed not to believe it," said Miranda, "I'm just glad you're alright. Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends?"
With that Sofia introduced Tess, Malcolm, Eren, Mikasa and Armin to Miranda.
"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for my daughter," said Miranda to Tess and the others, "you saved her life and may just have saved all of Enchancia in the process."
"Give us a chance, your grace," said Armin, "we just got here."
"I wasn't even in the swamp today," said Malcolm, "but if things are going to get as bad as we think they're gonna get, I'll be doing a lot of life saving."
"Just as we will," said Mikasa, "we in The Survey Corps, we're not just about killing Titans, it's about paving the way for humanity to be free of The Titans."
"Our emblam sums it up," said Eren as he turned his back, showing the crest with the blue and white wings, "'The Wings of Freedom.'"
"That is so cool!" said an eager James, "where can I get a jacket like that?"
"Well, first you've got to join the military on our world," said Armin, "then you've got to demonstrate that you've got the balance to remain upright suspended above ground in the 3DMG. Then you've got to pass three years of potentially lethal training."
"People have died trying to master the 3DMG," said Eren, "then again, if you can't survive basic training, then you wouldn't last much longer against a real Titan."
"Oh," said James, "well then, I guess we'll have to adapt our Shardplate to fight Titans then. If they're as slow and stupid as you say they are, why not trip them up and then take them out?"
"We do use that tactic," said Mikasa, "the trick is getting them to fall face first, exposing the nape of the neck. And you've got to cut in just the right place to finish them off. Anywhere else and they'll heal faster than you can believe."
"Oh, why are we talking about monsters and battle tactics when we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves?" asked Roland, "my beloved wife and queen is finally home from touring the kingdom's hospitals. Tonight's a night for celebration."
It was then that Bailywick walked up to Roland, "forgive me for interrupting the celebrations, your Majesty, but we have another unexpected guest. He's waiting in the foyer."
"Really?" asked Roland, "well, welcome him to the party, Bailywick, the more the merrier!"
"I would, but I believe our young Keyblade Wielder friends would want to meet with this newcomer first," said Bailywick, "apparently, this newcomer claims to be a Keyblade Wielder himself."
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Tess and Malcolm. With that they dashed headlong out of the dining hall, through the corridors and into the foyer. There, his clothing torn and ragged beneath a dusty travel cloak, various small cuts and bruises adorning his body and a large bandage covering his left eye, stood a certain Keyblade Alchemist.
"Aiden!" exclaimed Malcolm joyfully, while Tess was ecstatically speechless.
"Tess! Malcolm!" exclaimed Aiden, "thank the gods!" with that he ran up to and embraced his fellow Keyblade Wielders.
"Who's your friend?" asked James as he and Sofia caught up with them.
"Someone very special to us," said Malcolm.
"This is Aiden Mackenzie," said Tess, "Aiden, this is Prince James and Princess Sofia of Enchancia."
"Nice to meet you," said Aiden, "now, where can I find King Roland? I've a gift for him."
"A gift for dad?" asked James.
"What's this about a gift?" asked Roland as he, Miranda, Bailywick and several guards showed up.
"Oh, your grace, nice to meet you," said Aiden. He then pulled out a bronze coin that had Roland's face on it, "your portrait doesn't do you justice. Anyway, I'm not here to discuss the kingdom's currency. I'm here to help save it from the forces of darkness."
"Did Alegra send you?" asked Eren as he, Mikasa and Armin showed up.
"No, and I owe her a fist to the face," said Aiden, "what I've brought tonight is going to change the course of the war. Come on; it's right outside."
"What's right outside?" asked Sofia.
"My gift for the king," said Aiden, "come on, you've got to see it to believe it!" with that he turned to walk out the front door.
"Is he alright?" Jakes asked Tess and Malcolm as they and the others followed Aiden outside, "he seems…a little out there."
"He looks like he's been through something awful, that's my opinion," said Armin.
"Mine too," said a concerned Tess.
Night had fallen outside as Tess, Malcolm and the others found several soldiers warily standing around a wagon that occasionally shook violently, the wagon containing a large, square object covered by a burlap tarp.
"Aiden…what is in there?" Malcolm asked as he pointed at the wagon.
"Something a lot of people died for to get," said Aiden coldly, "including someone very close to me." He then walked to the soldiers around the wagon, "don't just stand there, get more torches! It's too dark for your king to see what I've brought him!"
"Do as he says," said Roland, "this young man has come a long way to give me his gift, so I'd like to at least see it."
"Your majesty, I advise extreme caution," said Bailywick, "we don't know what that is."
"I agree," said Miranda, "Roland, I think you shouldn't be here. At least until we know it's safe."
Just then a vicious roar came from beneath the tarp and the wagon shook violently, followed by a sinister chittering sound, all of which caused the guards and soldiers to nearly panic and run.
"Now I know it's not safe!" said Miranda, "everyone! Back away from that thing!"
"No, it's alright, I promise!" said Aiden, "I've got the bastard contained. There's no way it can escape without my permission, and I'll never give it, the gods see if I don't."
"What are you talking about, Aiden?" asked Tess, "what is under that tarp?"
"You want to know? I'll show you," said Aiden as more soldiers showed up with torches, further illuminating the area, "I'll show you all." With that he calmly walked up to the wagon, climbed on and grabbed the edge of the tarp, "feast your eyes on this!"
With a dramatic flair, he pulled the tarp from the wagon, revealing a silver and blue cage containing a large creature that was a cross between a stag beetle and a scorpion. The creature thrashed about in the cage, growling and chittering viciously, James, Sofia, Roland, Miranda, Bailywick and the others gasped in horror.
"What…what is that…thing?" asked an appauled Bailywick.
"It's no Titan, that's for sure," said Eren.
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Eren," said Mikasa.
"What is it?" asked Sofia.
"A Raztonian warrior," said a stunned Tess.
"So, they are here," said Malcolm. He then looked at Aiden, "I think you've got some explaining to do."
"You got that right," said Aiden coldly.
…Parzon…
"Well?" asked Davis Blackwood, "what do you think?" He then indicated the vast laboratory before him, in which, in dozens of glass and metal tanks pumped full of chemicals, lay monstrous creatures, each a hybrid of a gorilla, a wolf and a snake.
"I think you have a talent with Chimeras, my friend," said Zotarius.
"As do I," said an impressed Lords Xenu as he walked among the tanks, unflinching at the twisted abominations that thrashed about desperately to escape their metal and glass cages. "I do believe these things want to kill me."
"They haven't received their final chemical treatment," said Davis Blackwood, "and a final infusion of Alchemic energy. Afterwards, they'll obey my every command."
"Creating abominable creatures is child's play," said an unimpressed Halenio'ketalc, "it's what you use them for that counts."
Just then a humanoid Raztonian nervously hurried up to Halenio'ketalc and whispered something into her ear, something that caused her emotionless multi-faceted eyes to burn with outrage.
"WHAT!?" bellowed Halenio'ketalc, her humanoid face morphing to that of a praying mantis, while her hands elongated into the forelegs of a mantis. She gasped the hapless lesser Raztonian, lifted it up and bit his head off, tossing the dead body aside.
"I take it that something bad has happened?" asked Lord Xenu calmly, while Zotarius and Davis Blackwood trembled fearfully behind one of the Chimera tanks.
"You bet your pathetic human eyes something bad happened," said Halenio'ketalc as her features returned to their humanoid appearance, "an entire squad of Raztonian shock troops have been wiped out by a Keyblade Wielder!"
"Those brats that Columbina warned us about?" asked Zotarius.
"Keyblade Wielders?" asked Lord Xenu, "I thought they were just legends."
"They're real, alright," said Halenio'ketalc, "and one of them dared to violate the sanctified lives of our Raztonian warriors!"
Just then another lesser humanoid Raztonian nervously walked up to Halenio'ketalc and whispered in her ear, then ran away before she could react.
"Well, that's something else," said the Raztonian sorceress, "apparently there were two survivors of the massacre. One lived long enough to tell the tale before succumbing to his wounds like an honorable Raztonian, while the other survivor was stupid enough to be captured by the Keyblade Wielder alive. And that Keyblade Wielder used Alchemy."
"Alchemy?" asked Davis Blackwood, "wait, I think I remember hearing about a Keyblade Wielder on my world, a friend of the Elric brothers whom calls himself the Keyblade Alchemist."
"The same," said Halenio'ketalc, "his name is Aiden Mackenzie, and my people ran into him during the operation on the world of Equestria."
Just then a third lesser Raztonian ran up to and handed Halenio'ketalc several photographs, some of which showed Aiden, "it's true; The Keyblade Alchemist is here in Enchancia." She then looked at the rest of the photographs, which turned out to be enhanced versions of the photos of Sofia during the Titan fight in the swamp. The photos were focused on Tess, "and that one is Tess Thatcher. There's at least two Keyblade Wielders in Enchancia."
"How many are there altogether?" asked Lord Xenu.
"Enough to cause a world of trouble for us," said Zotarius, "if what I've heard about Keyblade Wielders is true, then we haven't even begun to know the word 'trouble.'"
"Then there's no time to waste," said Davis Blackwood, "I'll complete the process on the Chimera now and unleash them on Enchancia."
"Send them against the Keyblade Wielders!" said Halenio'ketalc, "make them suffer for their blasphemy!"
"Wouldn't it be wise to find out where the meddling brats are first?" asked Lord Xenu.
"Huh? Oh, right," said a slightly sheepish Halenio'ketalc, "yes, please find out where they are."
"It doesn't matter where they are," said Davis Blackwood, "my 'children' will find and tear them to pieces without fail."
"If you don't mind," said Zotarius, "I'll get started on my own plan of attack, just in case."
"Whatever combs your hair," said Davis Blackwood.
"Just what do you have in mind, warlock?" asked Halenio'ketalc.
"Haven't decided just yet," said Zotarius, "but I'm sure I'll find a trick or two in my spell book to put up my sleeve, and believe me, my tricks aren't the kind you pull out at parties."
The End of Chapter 3.
Next chapter, we find out what happened to Aiden, while also focusing back on Kairi, Riku, Alegra, Sabrian and Salem. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!